Wire-twisting tool



AugnlS, 1931; A. E. HOENE 1,819,170

' WIRE 'TWISTING TOOL Filed N0\{.' 25. 193::

A ttomey Patented Aug. 18, 1931 PAT Y ALEXANDER nnonnn, or TACOMA; wAsnmei'on winn-mwisrine TOOL Application filed November 25, 193().' Serial No. 497,989.

My invention pertains to improvements to a former invention for which Patent No.'

1,672,939, was issued to me on the twelfth U day'of June,,1928. The objects of my invention are the same as set forth in my former invention and patent. It has additional objects in providing a means whereby a branch wire designed to be connected with p a fixed live electric wire may be gripped in place to be twisted thereon without subjecting the lineman to injury from the electric current. Another object is to improve the wire-twisting stud of my former patent M so that the branch wire will be twisted around the livewire with an open space between each circle of the branch wire.- A still further object of my improvement is to provide a means whereby the branch wire;

PM afterbeing twisted around the live wire may be again untwistedso-as to be detached from the live wire'at any time desired this means being a device attachable and detachable to the wire twisting tool. I

I attain these objects-by means of the im- 1 provements to my wire-twisting tool as illustrated in the accompanying drawingspin which:

Figure 1 is a miniature elevation of an electric line pole on which is shown a pair 39 of main service wires and a pair of new circuit wires to be connected therewith; Fig. 2' is a view of the same pole with one of the new circuit wires being connected by F n being twisted onto the live circuit wire; Figs. 3 and 4 are a shortened View of the front and side of the new clamping device by which a new circuit wire is clamped onto the live circuit wire preparatory'to being twisted thereon; Fig. 5 is a side view of the jaws of the clamping device, enlarged to show how the wires are clamped together therein; Fig. 6 is a top view of'the lower jaw of Fig. 5 from the line 66; Fig. 7

e is a front view of my twisting'tool showing '45 the hub and the new wire-twisting stud; Fig. 8 is a side viewof Fig. 7 showing the process of twisting the new circuit wire around the live wire while being held in contact by the clamping device; Fig. 9

is an enlarged side and top View of the new we? F formfof wire-twisting stud, showing the I w1retwistzn'g inclined groove thereinyFig.

10 is a side view of the twisting hub -with the wire-twisting stud removed andmy newly invented attachable and detachable device for untwisting the ,sideacircuit wire from the main service wire; Fig.1l is a front view of Fig- 10; and Fig. 12 IlS'fi' top View of the detached device foruntwisting the wire. p

Similar parts are indicated by similar.

chara-ctersin each of the several views.

Referring-V to the drawings, it will be seen that my wire-twisting tool shown in Figs. 7' and 8 is substantially the same as in .my former patent. It comprisesa bevel-gear twisting wheel '1 mounted within an annular frame or casing 3 and operated by a bevel gear pinion 2 with its shaft extended in the form a wooden shaft of suitable length for reaching up to wire lines supported on up right poles as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Gear 2 is mounted'in'a bearingthat is an integral part of the annularca'sing 3. i A radial slot 7 10 in the wheel 1 and the casing 3 is made to allow the main wire to be inserted into the center of the .wire-twisting wheel. .The' wire-twisting member comprises a hub-like extension 8 with a stud attached thereon to engage 'andtwist the branch service wire to the main service wire. All of this is shown in my former patentand set forth in the specification and claims.

" One of my improvements comprises a clampingdevice shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. The-upper jaw 21 is fixed on the top end ofa wooden shaft 22 of suitable length for reaching up to a pole'line wire. The

lower jaw 23 is pivotally mounted on shaft 22 just below the upper jaw 21 and has a lever arm24E with its lever end pivotally attached to thetop of a wooden shaft 25.

This shaft and the clamping device is 0per-' ated-by a hand lever 26 at its lower end:

Thishand lever is pivotally attached tothe lower end of shaft 22 and is provided with a. ratchet and spring actuated dog 27' by which thejaws of theclamping device are held fixed when. closed on the wires 17 and 19. v1 The lower jaw'23 is made with a vertical slot 28 in which the new service wire 17 bent to an angle at the point of connection, is inserted and lifted up and over the main service wire 19 and the jaws closed thereon as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. This clamps the two wires together with the free end of the new service wire ext-ending out to one side to be engaged by my wire-twisting tool and twisted evenly around the main service wire 19 as shown in Fig. 8.

Another improvement to my wire-twisting tool is in the wire twisting stud 9. Instead of a round stud with a concave side, as in my former patent, I use a square stud 9 with a deep diagonal groove 11 in which the wire 17 is to be engaged and evenly twisted about the wire 19. The purpose of this improvement is to twist the new, service wire 17' about the main service wire 19 with an elongated spiral so that each wrap or circle will be spaced apart from the others as shown in Fig. 8. The object of this spacing apart is to prevent electric are, static inter ference and the corrosion of the wires. It is to be observed this improved form of stud is made attachable and detachable by means of a threaded end to be screwed into the threaded holes 9'- of the twisting hub S. It can-be made for either right or for left hand twisting. It is to be further observed the wire twisting tool with my improvements is not limited to connecting branch wires to main line service wires, but is also designed to be used in constructing all kinds of pole wire lines in twisting the anchor wires around the main wires where they are supported on the insulating knobs on the line pole crossarins. At times it is necessary to disconnect side service wires and anchor wires from the main line service wires, and to meet this need, I have invented a further improvement to my wire-twisting tool, a device with which theside service wires and anchor wires can be untwisted from the main service wires.

This improvement is made of sheet metal so formed as to be attached to and detached from the twisting hub 8. Referring to Figs. 10, 11 and 12, it will be seen that this device is rectangular and oblong in form, panshaped with open ends and with its sides 29 turned up at right angles with its bottom or base 30, the projecting ends 31 of the front side being turned outward. Each end of the flat base has two curved extensions, one 32, to curve above the main wire 19 and the other 33 to curve below it. These with the curved outward ends 31 so engage the main wire 19 as to support the device in alinement therewith.

The device is attached to the twisting hub 8 by means of a right angle sheet metal. bracket 34: brazed or riveted to the under side of the fiat base 30, and the screws 85 fix the bracket to the face of the hub S as shown. The two ends of the device are alike and it is thus made reversible so as to be attached on either side of the slot 10 and thusbe used to untwist wires to the right or to the left. The holes 35 provide for this. When the device is not needed it can be detached and laidaside till its use is again required. The holes 9 are made for the wire twisting stud 9 which can be detached to give place to the untwisting device at such time as its use is required.

In using the untwisting device it will be seen that the outer end of the twisted wire is to be inserted into" the corner opening of the device between the curved projections 31 and 33 and on turning the twisting tool till the end of the Wire 17 comes in contact with the base '30 by which it will be untwisted from the main wire 19 and will slide along the base 30 toward the outer open end till the wire is entirely untwisted from off the main wire. The pan-shaped device leads the wire away from the main wire so as to keep it freefrom entanglement therewith.

This operation is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. r

It will be seen that the wire poles 15 are shown similar to those in my former patent,

and the use and application of my wiretwisting tool with the improvements herein set forth are the same as for which it was originally invented. The clamping device with its long shafts can be used from the ground or at a safe distance from the live wires the same as can the twisting tool and, by their use, the wire man can work with safety and thereby avoid all danger from electric shock. It is to be. observed that clamping devices have heretofore been used, but the novel feature of my improvement is in the vertical slot 28 in which the branch wire is inserted and carried up and put in place on the live wire for clamping and twisting. By means of the clamping device used in combination with my wire-twisting tool, the new circuit wire can be fixed and held onto the main live wire so the twisting tool will tightly twist the new circuit wire around the main live wire. 1V ithout it the new wire is liable to follow the twisting stud 9 and a defective connection be made with the live wire.

No detail is shown of the ratchet 27 its construction being similar to other ratchets. Having described my improvements, I claim 1. A wire twisting tool including a bevel gear wheel operated by a pinion gear wheel engaged therewith, said gear wheel mounted and operated within an annular frame or case without a pivotal shaft, a radial slot in said annular case and said bevel gear wheel wherein a pole line wire can be inserted at the axis of said gear wheel, a hublike extension with a Wire twisting stud thereon, extending from one side of said bevel gear wheel, and means for fixing and clamping a branch wire onto said pole line wire, said means including a pair of clamping jaws with a vertical slot in the lowerj aw to receive the said branch wire, lift, put and clamp the same on said pole line wire while said branch wire is being twisted thereon by said wire-twisting tool.

2. A wire twisting tool including a bevel gear wheel operated by a pinion gear'wheel engaged therewith, said gear wheel mounted and operated within an annular frame or case without a pivotal shaft, a radial slot in said annular case and said bevel gear wheel wherein a pole line wire can be inserted at the axis of said gear wheel, a hublike extension from one side of said bevel gear wheel, a wire twisting stud on the face of said hub-like extension, and said stud having a diagonal slot in one'side thereof, wherein a side line wire will be engaged and twisted around said pole line wire in elongated circles spaoed apart as described and shown.

3, A wire twisting tool including a bevel gear wheel operated by a gevel gear pinion engaged therewith, said gear wheel mounted I within an annular case without a central shaft, a radial slot in said annular case and said bevel gear wheel wherein a pole line wire can be inserted at the axis of said gear wheel, a hub-like extension from one side of said bevel gear wheel, a detachable wire twisting stud in the face of said hub-like extension, whereby side line wires can be twisted in spaced circles around said pole line wire, and an attachable and detachable device to be fixed on the face of said hublike extension with which said side line wires can be untwisted from said pole line wire, said device being made reversable, of strong sheet metal, panlike in form with right angle.

sides, and curved extensions ateach end to partly encircle the pole line wire and so contact the end of side line wire twisted thereon as to lift it from and untwist it off the pole line wire as described and shown.

ALEXANDER E. HOENE. 

